PROJECT SUMMARY The Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference (MMPC) is a long-standing scientific meeting that engages junior and established investigators studying microbial pathogenesis in the Midwest Region of the United States. The first MMPC convened in 1994 at the University of Iowa and the meeting has subsequently been held annually at alternating academic institutions in the Midwest. Between 250-350 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty participate in this meeting annually. The 24th Annual MMPC is being held at the University of Notre Dame from August 25- 27, 2017. This is the first time MMPC has been hosted at Notre Dame. The MMPC constitutes a major scientific venue that supports the development of the next generation of research scientists with special emphasis upon inclusion of women and researchers from underrepresented minority (URM) populations. In addition to providing an interactive and engaging scientific forum for inves- tigators to present their work and establish collaborations, the MMPC fosters networking between investigators and institutions in the Midwest. Regional accessibility, low cost, and travel/registra- tion support provided for select attendees allows this meeting to attract a diverse group of partic- ipants. In keeping with long tradition, approximately 60% of speakers invited to give oral presen- tations at the 2017 meeting will be Assistant Professors who are often presenting their first formal seminar since establishing their own laboratories. Talks from a smaller number of more estab- lished investigators who recently moved their laboratories to the Midwest are also planned to encourage networking. Five graduate student or postdoctoral fellows chosen based upon merit of their submitted abstracts will also be invited to present their research orally, providing an invalu- able opportunity to showcase their research in a collegial and interactive environment. We pro- pose to select from abstract submissions 10 additional trainees for registration waivers, focusing again on merit and URM status. We will provide registration fee waivers to at least 10 URM and 16 female young scholars local organizations to promote exploration of the field of Microbial Path- ogenesis. This year's MMPC will also include an interactive forum focused on global health and field research, which will be led by a panel of prominent scientists. Thus, the MMPC will be sup- porting a variety of activities that are directly relevant to the missions of the National Institutes of Health.